Growing up with the decline of movie theaters
I saw my first movie in theaters at age five. I’m aware that’s pretty late to achieve that milestone, especially for someone as passionate about film as I am. Additionally embarrassing was the film itself, that being “Cars 2,” a monumentally stupid movie that I wholeheartedly adored. Seeing the fast movements, colorful animation and brimming excitement projected onto the screen of the historic El Capitan was a life-defining moment for me. From that moment on, I had found my new love.
Years would pass and I would go to the theater at a more frequent pace, often with my grandfather who would be just as excited for whatever the movies had in store. I recall seeing many films, such as “The Lego Movie” at the Van Nuys Regency Theater, “The Muppets” at the Sherman Oaks Arclight Cinema and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” at the TCL Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard. That screening of “The Force Awakens” was specifically one of my fondest theater memories. I still remember the feeling of the 3-D glasses on my face as I strapped in for two hours of pure adrenaline and ecstasy. In hindsight, however, that movie ended up being a dreaded sign of what was to come.
After the Walt Disney company acquired Lucasfilm for a hefty sum of $4billion, it was almost undeniable that they had cornered the entertainment market and yielded more power than they ever had. Once they owned Marvel and Star Wars, things got off the rails in a relatively quick period of time.
They would release new movies and products based on their respective IP, with each one grossing a larger amount than the last. This resulted in an oversaturation of the market in theaters. As time went on, Disney began to monopolize the theater industry. Disney would accomplish this by buying up more theater space in order to get a broader audience and weed out competition. This, in my opinion, is the point of no return. Theaters, after the pandemic especially, are at a disadvantage and have lost exorbitant amounts of money. So logically, they’re going to be desperate for quick and easy money. The revenue for non-Disney products has dropped significantly since 2015, down to a fearful point for any future filmmaker.
In May 2022, movie reviewer for ScreenCrush.com, Matt Singer tweeted a screenshot of 70 screenings for “Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness” at a single AMC in Times Square. There were no other screenings for anything else that day. The tweet gathered attention for good reason and brought one of the biggest modern problems to light: Disney is creating a content monopoly that is killing theater revenue, and may result in the dissolution of cinemas as a whole.
These tactics are economically dangerous for movie theaters and they have to be stopped. Although some may say that audiences should vote with their dollars, others would argue that Disney has already gone too far, and it may be a lost cause. The best thing audiences can do is go to their local cinema and support it in any way. This may be the only way to save a dying industry that I love with all my heart.
